Lawyer wants charge dropped against alleged Boston fund scammer

BOSTON >> The defense attorney for the Troy woman accused of scamming a Boston Marathon bombing related charity filed a motion Wednesday to dismiss charges against his client in court.

In another trial hearing for Audrea Gause, 26, public defender John Hayes filed a motion to dismiss the gross fraud charge brought against Gause as she was accused for illegally obtaining $480,000 from the One Fund Boston. The charity organization was meant to raise money for those impacted by the Boston Marathon bombing back in April.

Another hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 28, 2014, where both defense and prosecution will make arguments on the motion. The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office will plan to file an opposition to the motion before the hearing date.

Gause, who is currently being held at the South Bay House of Correction, was arrested in July at her home on Ninth St. following an investigation that began after she attempted to make a down payment on a home in Clifton Park with a paper bag containing $377,500 in cash.

Advertisement

Authorities soon discovered she had filed fake medical records to the One Fund Boston claiming she had spent two days in the Boston Medical Center and 10 days at the Albany medical Center Hospital being treated for brain injuries related to the bombing incident on April 15.

Gause had said she suffered from symptoms related to her injuries, which included long-term memory loss, impaired speech and loss of some motor functions.

The investigation discovered the medical records had been doctored after it was revealed Gause was not in Boston when the bombing had occurred, which killed three and left 264 people injured.

Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General Gina Massota of the AG’s Public Integrity Division is currently prosecuting the case, which has a tentative trial start date of June 16, 2014.